Sheet metal can body



-0Ct. 24, 1939. w R PUNTE 2,177,029

SHEET METAL CAN BODY Filed Sept. 4, 1937 ze' K 19 1:9 E i I 1 l' E 4 E ZJ #6 l 5 Z6 26* I i J] 12 a; l H 21 g J? j 'l T19 14 /l llll lo, 16 40 ll illllawd Patented Oct. 24, 1 939 Continental Can Company, Inc., N.Y.,aoorporationofNewYork New York,

App cation September 4, 1m, sfl'lfl No. 162.535

ICh-im.

The present invention relates to new and useon improvements in a sheet metal can body, and more particularly to improvements in the solder bonded side seam thereof.

- Inusingcansforthe 41H:

liquids, such as beer, it is commonpractice to subject the contents of the can to a sterilizing heat after the can has been sealed. This heating of the sealed can develops an extremely high internal pressure and it is, therefore, important and essential that cans used i'or this purpose should. have a correspondingly strong side seam. The pressure of the liquid is exerted equally in all direction so that a substantially tangential l strainis imposed on the side seam. When the usual lock seani is employed, that is, a seam having the customary interengaging hooks, the tangential strain exerted thereon tends to unfold the hooks and this results in the impodtion of a direct tensile strain on the solder bond between the interengaged faces of the hooks. This ten-v sile strain often results in the rupturing of the solder bond. A lapzseam, as distinguished from a lock seam, offers more resistance to a tangential ll strain because the stresses imposed on the solder bond are primarily of a shearing character. The

side seam is usually formed by lapping one edge portion of the blank over the other edge portion thereof and applying solder between the adjacent faces. With this ,type of lap seam, the

extent of the solder bond is limited by the lapping portions of the can blank.

In the co-pending application 'of William F.

Punte, Serial No. 103,434, filed September so,

I 1936, there is shown and described a form of side seam which is materially stronger than the usual side seam and is, therefore, particularly well adapted for use on cans employed for holding beer or the like, and it is a particular object of the 4 present invention to provide certain improvements over the aforesaid application in connection with side seams for metal cans. I Y

The invention aims to provide an improved side seam for metal can bodies, wherein the edge portions of the body blank are so shaped and lapped as to provide an extended surface for the .solder bond and to greatly facilitate the appli a tion of the solder between the contacting portions w oftheseam.

slits and cut-out portions on the opposite edges of the body blank.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will be hereinafter more fully pointed out. 6;

In the accompanying drawing: 7

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the hat body blank.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side sectional view of the flat body blank with one of the edges thereof I." positioned after the initial forming operation.

Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, showing the position of the edge of the body blank after a subsequent forming operation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view, in section, showing the opposite ornotched edge of the body blank in position relative to the pre-shaped edge thereof.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the completed seam after it has been bumped, as viewed from the ingo drawing, and particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3,

the edge ll. of the body blank H is'provided with a series of notches l2, groups of which are separated by slits l3 extending longitudinally of the body blank. The ends of the edge It are tapered, as at ll. The opposite edge ii of. the body blank H is provided with a projecting tongue portion It, the longitudinal edges lid of which are disposed within the outer edges of the body blank.

The body blank is provided with slits l'l so that the edges Ila of the projecting portion l6 extend 40 within the body blank. The projecting portion It is provided with a plurality of spaced slits I I disposed in substantial alignment with the outer edge portions ll of the body blank.

As shown in Figure 2, the tongue or projecting 6 portion to is bent along a line a joining the inner extremities of the slits H. The projecting portion It isthenfurtherbent,asinFigure3,so that the portion lib is disposed at an acute angle with respecttothebodyblankandsothatthe 0 portion lie is reversely bent and also disposed at an acute angle with respect to the body blank.

"The portion lie is bent along a line bwhichineludes the transverse slits ll. When this edge of thebodyblankhasbeenformedtheblankisll bent aro'imd a horn so that the opposite edge ll thereof is disposed at the position shown in Figure i. in this position of the body blank, the edge M, which includes the notches l2 and longitudinal slits 53, is disposed within the bight between the portions lib, I60 of the tongue portion I. The edge portions of the body blank are now subjected to a forming operation which causes the portions lib, lie of the tongue ll to enclose the edge portion III of the body blank. The seam is then bumped so that the parts assume the position shown in Figures 7 and 8. As shown, an outwardly extending side seam is thus provided.

It is of course understood that the outer ends or corner portions IQ of the body blank are lapped with respect to the opposite edge ll of the body blank so as to facilitate the ,subsequent flanging of the ends of the can body and the sides of the end closures to the can in a manner which is well known.

When solder is applied to the space between the portion lib of the tongue I. of the body blank, it will flow by capillary attraction to all parts of the seam. A portion of the solder will flow between the adjacent edges of the body blank and of the portion l6b. Some of the solder will also flow through the slits l8 and thence to opposite sides of the edge lll so that both the portions lib and l6c are solder bonded to the edge Ill. The notches l2 and the slits l3 in the edge ll of the body blank facilitate the free flowing of the solder to all parts of the seam. Thus, solder will also flow to the space between the body blank and the extreme edge portion ltc of the tongue It. The provision of the slits and notches prevent the possible trapping of gases in the seam so that damming up of the solder lsgeffectiv'ely prevented.

It will be apparent that a side seam constructed in the manner heretofore described is an ex ceptionally strongone, and one which is well adapted to withstand exceedingly high internal, pressures. It will also be noted that the solder bond is applied over a greatly extended surface and, since a solder bond is particularly resistant to shearing stresses, the strength of the seam of the present invention is correspondingly increased.

It is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement oi parts may be made without departing from thescope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A sheet metalcan body having a solder bonded side seam, one edge of the body blank being fold-- ed back upon the outer face of the body wall and reversely folded so as to extend beyond the first fold line and having a plurality of transverse slits along the fold line joining the two said folded wnmun-Pom. 

